Self-cleaning electrical protective apparatus.



RRLPARKBR. a SELF CLEANING ELECTRICAL PROTECTIVE APPARATUS. APPLIOATIH FILED JULY3 i, 190B.

'ning arr-esters have to be cleaned. considerwhereby such manual cleaning may be done a citizen of the United States of America,

FREDERICK Rz PABKE'R,

'ATENT ora ion.

or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

sELEcLEAniNG nnno'rnrea'n rno'rno'rrvn arrnmvros.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 23, 1910,

Application filed'July 31,1908. Serial N 0. 446,310.

Tov all whom 'it may "concern. I

Be it known that I, FREDERICK R. PARKER,

residing at-Ch-icago, in the county of. 00k and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Self-Cleaning Electrical Protective Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, illustrating same.

My invention relates to electrical protective apparatus employing high potential electricity arresters therein.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide improved means for cleaning the higl i-potential electricity arresters or lightning arresters of such apparatus; and to provide improved featuresof construction; in such apparatus.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification. 1

It is well known that the ordinary lightably in order to prevent leakages therethrough, which leakages greatly decrease the etiiciency. of the electrical system, This cleaning generally has to be done by laand, by removing the electrodes and interposed dielectric from the apparatus. thoroughly cleaning same. and then replacing the electrodes and dielectric into the apparatus. In my present invention I provide means away with, the arresters being automatically cleaned without the electrodes thereof being removed from the apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a plan view of a pair of dupllcate sets of prefer-rial form of protective apparatus of this invention. mounted on opposite sides of a ground plate or mounting plate, the apparatus on the left-hand side of the mounting plate being shown in set position and that on the right-hand side-being shown in operated position: Fig: 2 is a top end view of Fig. 1; and 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the mounting plate and electrode mounting strips thereon, showing some-of the electrodes of a series mounted along the mounting plate.

Like characters refer to like parts in the several figures In the drawings. 1 represents the ground lo 1 plate or mounting plate. upon the opposite t sides of which are mounted duplicate sets of spring members 2, l. 5 and 6. suitably inl sulated from each other by msulat ng portions 20 20 as shown, the members 6 '6 being preferably rather rigidl" On the front edge of the mounting plate ,1 are secured a pair ofstrlps 10 10 of sheet metal, each'strip 10 having tongue portions l0 l 0 thereon adapted to fit in grooves l7 1? in the ground electrodes 11 11 of the apparatus, to'hold these electrodes inplace. Each pair of the protective apparatus comprises a middle ,electrode 11 suitably held in place by the tongue portions 10-l0 as shown, and electrodes 1'2 12 located on opposite sides .of the electrode 11 as shown. Each electrode 12,. is .70

attached to the free end ofthe. correspondlng sprmgfmember 4:, preferably as shown,

said free end of spring member 4 being 'formedwith' portions 15 15 adapted to fit m grooves 13 13 in the electrode 1 2* and be ing split as at 25so as to allow the portions 16 115 and the portions 15 15'to tightly grip the electrode and thereby hold same'ln place. Each electrode 12 has a dielectric; 14: at tached thereto to form a spark gapfbetween 'thejelectrodehl ltfiid the electrode 11 when the apparatus is set, as shown on the left of Fig.1. Each spring member 2 has a "heat!- cartridge 8 mounted thereon and adapted-t0 normally hold a metallic portion 7, whichis attached to the corresponding spring member l. in contact w iththe partridge" S, preferably by easily fusible solder, when-the apparatus is set. 1

hen the apparatus is operatedby angabnormallylarge current in the heat-cartridge S, which cur-rentsoftens the solder and perniitsthe'porti'o1f7 to be releasedffrom the.

cartridge 8, due to the tension inspring-l, p

the corresponding electrodes 11 and 12 are separated as shown on .the right to Fig. 1.- Vheu the spring member '-l takes this operated position it makes electrical connection with an alarm circuit spring 5 and the corresponding ground member or plate '6.-

which closes an alarm -'circuitin the usual manner and grounds the corresponding spring member}. \Vhe'n the spring "member etoperates to the position shown on the'right of Fig. 1, it strikes against its stop 6. or

against spring 1ne-mber 5 which strikes against the stop (3. and thereby vibrates the electrode 12 s'utliciently to detach carbon dust and foreign particles therefrom and thereby clean theelectrode and the dielectric attached thereto. Thus it will be seen that-an abnormally large current in the circuit through'the heat-cartridge, or. abnorbe connected to the switchboard conductors or to the instruments to be. 'rote'cted. The

v ab e spark gaps on opposite sides .of'the m.id.

the sneak-current protectors or heat-cartridges 8 8 serve aslmans for automaticv mal -lieat ing' in the heat caiyzridge produced in ;.'any" desired manner, aililt/omatically cleans the corresponding lightni g arrester.

- The ligtning arrester may also be cleaned manually by removing theelect rode 12 from its-spring support or by unsoldering the por-'. 'tions 7 and 8 by a soldering iron and allow ing the apparatus to operate. Whenthe portions 7 and 8 are resoldered together in 'any suitable manner, the correspondingelectrodes 11 and 12 are again brought together as shown on' the left of Fig. 1, thereby eing reset as a protector -to the circuit. S ring members 4 4 are to be connected to the line conductors, and spring members 2 2 are to alarm springs 5 5 may. be le t ofi of the appfihatus if desired, without affecting the op ver'atiop', thereof. An abnoramlly' high vol .tflg coining to the apparatus over a line bpring'4 will pass through the correspond ing electrode 12, dielectric 14, and the middl electrode 11, to the ground plate 1. v It will be seen that each pair of lightning arresters comprises aikmiddle electrode 11 a'nd'line electrodes 12' 12 on opposite sides th reof arranged when set toprovide'suitdleelectrode 11'. It will also be seen that ally cleaning the lightning arresters upon abnormally large currents in the main circuitsf If desired, abnormally large currents maybe sent over the. main circuits through the heat-cartridges 8v 8 to operate the appara'tus and thereby clean the arresters, the

apparatus-thenbein'g reset by any suitable fornrof resetting device to condition the protectors for service.

The above description is believed to'make the purposes and the operation of the apparatus clear, and it is therefore-thought to be unnecessary to go into a further detailed description of the invention.

"I do not wish to limit this invention to all of the particular details of construction herein shown or described, as many modifications of same may bemade without departing from the scope of the ap ended claims.

Neither do I wish to .be limited to the particular heat-cartridges herein shown, as various forms of wound c'oils and other heat- -cai."tridges maybe used'in this capacity.

What I claim. ajs my invention is:

1. Electrical protective apparatus comprising a ground plate, sets of spring mem- 'bers mounted on opposite sides of the ground plate, a middle electrode mounted on the ground plate near one edge thereof, a par of electrodes mounted on o posite sides of the .middleelectrode in clos proximity thereto to provide suitable spark gaps therewith,

air of electrodes being suitably rester for sep ratin 'mounted on a pair of the spring members, and electrothermally-operable devices on opposite sides of the mounting plate the operation of which moves the corre ponding electrodes of'the said pair away from the 'middle electrode for cleaning thearresters.

- ing suitable spark-gaps'therewith, thermallyoperable mechanism associated with themv I g at least one of the said electrodes of he pair from the middleelectrode,'upon abnormal heating, and means for then. suddenlyjarring the separated elec-' trode for cleaning thearrester.

' 4. A high-potential. electricity arr-ester. comprising a middle electrode and a pair of'electrodes on opposite sides thereof providing suitable spark-gaps therewith, an electrothermal device for each of the electrodes separated electrode for cleaning the arrester.

5'. Electrical protective apparatus comprising a mounting plate,high-potential electricity 'a'rrester electrodes arranged on oppo site sides of theino'unting plate, switching mechanism, and an electrothermal device for each of the said electrodes whereby the latter are moved away from the mounting plate andwhereby .the switching mechanism is suitably operated, upon an abnormally large current, forth. 6. Electrical protective apparatus comprising a mounting plate, high-potential electricity arrester electrodes on opposite sides of the mounting plate, switching mechanism, an electr'othermal device for each of the said electrodes whereby the latter are moved away from the mounting plate andv whereby the switching mechanism is suit-' ably operated, upon abnormal current conditions, and means for suddenly jarring an operated electrode, for purposes substantially as set forth. I a

7. A high-potentialelectricity arresterhaving electrodes, an electrothermal device for separating the electrodes, and means for suddenly jarring at least one ofthe electrodes after they. have beenseparated, for purposes substantially as set forth.-

8. A hi h-potential electricity, arrester having e1 trodes, electrotliermally-operable :for purposes substantially as set mechanism for separating the electrodes upon an excess of current, and means for suddenly jarring at least one of the electrodes after they have been separated, forv cleaning purpo'ses.

'9. A high-potential electricity arrester having electrodes, thermally-operable mechanism for separating the electrodes, and

' means for suddenly jarring atleast one of is attached, after the electrodes have the electrodes after they have been separated, for cleaning purposes.

10. A high-potential electricity ,arrester having electrodes, one of the said, electrodes having a dielectric attached thereto, electrothermally-operable mechanism for separating the electrodes upon an excess ofcurrent, and means for suddenly jarring the electrode to which the sailtidielectricis attached, after the electrodes have been separated, for cleaningpurposes. 1

llo-A high-potential electricity arrester having electrodes, one of the said electrodes having a dielectric attached thereto, thermally-operable mechanism for separating the electrodes, and means for suddenly jarring theelectrode'to which the saiddielegtric een separated, 'for cleaning purposes.

l2. In. electrical protective apparatus, a high-potential electricity arrester having electrodes. one of which is connected to a line, an electrothermal device for separating taneously operating the saidswitching mechanism.

15. .In electrical protective apparatus'comprising a mounting plate carrying high-potential electricity arresters and switches on opposite sides thereof, electrothermal devices for opening the respectivearresters, upon their operation, and simultaneously closing the said switches;

As inventor of the foregoing I hereunto subscribe my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses this 29th day of July,

' FREDERICK R. PARKER.

\Vitnesses FRANK J. RYAN, RIG. PARKER. 

